MetroWest offers unique options for cyclists

The MetroWest area has caught the cycling bug, and riders, motorists and communities are learning how to make the roads accommodating for everyone.

Joe O'Connell/Daily News staff

The MetroWest area has caught the cycling bug, and riders, motorists and communities are learning how to make the roads accommodating for everyone.

Local riders said parts of MetroWest offer great cycling routes, but some roads, specifically heavily traveled ones, they try to avoid.

"I do ride right out the front door," said Bob Shapiro, a Sudbury resident. "Obviously you try to stay off the main roads if you can."

Shapiro has been cycling for 13 years, and logs as many as 5,000 miles a year on his bike. He rides with a cycling team associated with the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and he regularly rides in Sudbury, Concord and as far west as Princeton.

"This is a growing sport," Shapiro said. "Once the snow is off the ground, there are plenty of places to ride in our area."

Dover and Sherborn are two towns cyclists from the area frequent when the weather is good. Ashland resident Patricia Davidson said on a sunny weekend afternoon, there are dozens of cyclists on the road in those towns.

"Cycling as a whole is expanding," said Davidson, who rides about 2,500 miles a year. "There is nothing really that I can do that allows my mind to be as blank as possible, and I mean that in a good way."

Davidson says she usually avoids riding in Ashland because the roads are not in great shape for road bikes, which are generally lighter and use thin wheels.

"I am more afraid of the poor conditions of the road rather than the person driving behind me," Davidson said. "It is something where I have to think about where I am going and what size tire I should bring."

Major roads, such as routes 9, 27 and 30 are generally avoided, riders said. Jack Johnson, who oversees marketing and advocacy for Landry's Bicycles, said it is legal to ride a bike on Rte. 9 and it is becoming more feasible for cyclists to travel on it.

"It really depends on their comfort level," Johnson said. "Some people are more daring and brave. We certainly have a lot of customers who ride on Rte. 9 and it doesn’t faze them at all. And others wouldn't consider it."

Because the sport is growing, riders said more communities are taking steps to accommodate bikes, whether it is widening shoulders on streets or installing more signs reminding motorists and cyclists to share the road.

In Framingham, the Parks and Recreation Department installed bike racks around town. William Hanson, chairman of the Framingham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee said there has been some speculation about bringing a shared public bicycle program, similar to the one in Boston, to Framingham.

"There is quite a bit of bicycle activity," Hanson said. "If you notice around Framingham, the town has put up 'share the road' bicycle signs."

Johnson said cyclists are seeing wider shoulders on roads, such as on portions of Rte. 9, and communities are also installing sensors at traffic lights that a cyclist can activate to change the light, similar to ones already in place for cars.

Riding a bike to get to work is also growing in the MetroWest area, despite less than ideal routes to some work areas, said Stephanie Hirshon, director of the MetroWest/495 Transportation Management Association.

About 500 bike commuters from the area sign up with the association annually. Hirshon said people commute for a variety of reasons including exercise and to save money on gas.

"You would be surprised at the amount of folks who choose to bike to work as a commuting option," Hirshon said. "Sometimes on a daily basis."

The goal of the association is to promote alternative commuting options, Hirshon said, including cycling. As bike commuting has grown over the years, Hirshon said companies that were once apprehensive about it are now embracing it.

"The companies are providing employees with the resources to do it," said Hirshon. "Whether it is a flexible work schedule or offering a safe place to store bikes. That I find encouraging."

Regardless of where cyclists go, local riders said crashing is always a possibility. Shapiro had a major crash last year that landed him in the hospital overnight after he got tangled up with a fellow cyclist going 30 mph.

"Crashing is something that can happen and you can get badly hurt," he said.

Bruce Tretter, chairman of Westborough’s Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, said he has at least one frightening run-in with a motor vehicle every time he rides his bike around town.

"You have to be situationally aware – aware of your surroundings, the route you take and the times that you go out," he said, noting that he avoids Westborough’s downtown rotary and Rte. 30 at rush hour.

Keeping the roads safe requires vigilance and understanding by both cyclists and motorists, local riders said.

Davidson said drivers have beeped at her or yelled at her while she was riding, but she has also had some run-ins with other cyclists. She almost got into a significant crash with a cyclist who cut in front of her.

"There are a lot of cyclists who don’t play by the rules," Davidson said. "I’ve had encounters on my bike with other cyclists who have made it dangerous for me."

Johnson said more cyclists riding in groups will help motorists be more alert about sharing the road.

"Familiarity breeds safety," Johnson said. "The more motorists and truck drivers see bikes on the street the more they get accustomed to them."

Joe O'Connell can be reached at 508-626-3957 or joconnell@wickedlocal.com.

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